


Two Years

by bananakiki6007



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2020-05-13 19:32:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19257748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bananakiki6007/pseuds/bananakiki6007
Summary: Two years have gone by since Inej left aboard the Wraith, and she's finally returned to Ketterdam. Some random takes on reunions. One shots (maybe).





	1. What Just Happened?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumping right into a first

He sat with his back to hers on his bed. Not quite back to back, but close enough to feel the tension in the air. They were still panting a bit, with sweat gleaming on their re-dressed skin. She sat quite still, the undershirt that he lent her hanging loose around her shoulders. She fiddled with a loose thread. Before she could twine the whole strand around her finger, his finger reached out to pull it loose. 

"I'm glad you decided to stay," he said, treading carefully. This is new territory for them, after all. All those years spent in close proximity always played with the possibility of this. This.

"I'm sure someone has already jumped into my bed aboard the ship," she said lightly.

"You allow your crew into your quarters?"

"I don't keep secrets from my crew. I told them I'd be lost in Ketterdam tonight. Anyone is welcome to my room if I'm not using it."

"There's that Suli spirit," he replied with a small smirk.

She pivoted her body so that they now sat shoulder to shoulder. Body to body, separated by cotton shirts. So opposite of just ten minutes ago. She reached across to his hand and slid her fingers through his, looking directly into his eyes. His jaw clenched, but he held steady. 

"How?" she asked, finally. The unspoken words out in the air.

He knew what she meant. He looked away from her and took in a breath. "I - met someone while you were away. It lasted about seven months. She's gone now."

Silence hung in the air. 

"And you waited until now to say this?" she asked.

"Do you honestly think that I planned for what just happened - to happen?"

"I don't know see how that has anything to do with it," she said, tempter rising. 

"Inej - you were gone for two years. I tried to move on. I didn't seek her out."

"You don't have to defend yourself. We were never together. I'm just getting my thoughts straight. I told you about Teddy. Why didn't you tell me about her? We must've sent each other 150 letters!" she demanded.

Kaz reflexively chuckled. He still couldn't take a guy named Teddy seriously, even though she did write to him about her short-lived romance with a deck hand about a year ago.

"I can't believe the guy's name was Teddy," he said.

"Yes, it was, and he helped me through a very lonely time when I first boarded that ship. I'm going to leave if you can't take this conversation seriously-"

Suddenly he was all words, spewing out of his mouth like a toddler eating pudding. "Her name was Lisha, she was Zemeni. She found me at the Crow Club and pursued me for about three weeks. Once you left, I- I felt off balance. I couldn't get my head on straight. Before I knew it, a year flew by. I still don't really know how I had found the resolve to just go for it with her, but I did. She saw the issues I had and didn't run. Miraculously, she didn't tell anyone either. Sometimes we'd see each other a few times a week, and other times I'd go a month without seeing her. It took - a lot."

A few more beats of silence. 

"I'm glad you were able to find solace in someone, Kaz. Everyone needs that. Even you," she finally said.

"She reminded me of you," he replied, reaching his hand out to her again. 

"What happened to her?" she asked, taking his hand, but still looking down. She had a feeling, but didn't want to jump to such a drastic conclusion. The Bastard of the Barrel didn't display his exploits. If someone found out...

"I think you can guess," he said, his face turning towards her.

"Kaz, how could you let that happen?" she swiveled her face to his, eyes wide.

"She's not dead. At least I don't think she is. A Dime Lion tracked us. I was so damn careful, I'm still angry at myself for letting it happen. My newest spider found out and let me know before any real damage was caused. I sent her away to a Tailor at one of the pleasure houses with two pockets full of kruge and a promise that I'd have someone watching over her and she'd never have to see me again," he said.

"So she's still in Ketterdam?"

"Not quite. My spider told me about two months ago that she left town. I can't blame her. She knew what she was getting herself into though, she was tough. I told you she reminded me of you," he said with another furtive glance in her direction.

"Was it love?" she asked.

He laughed a humorless laugh. 

"No, it wasn't," he said. 

More beats of silence. 

"Well," she said, lying back on the bed. "I think we're on even ground, Brekker."

The moonlight was strewn across her face, her hair half way out of it's braid. He loved her. He stared at her laying on his pillow, incredulous to the image. If someone told him yesterday what would transpire tonight, he'd tell them to go choke on some Ravkan kvas. 

"You're staring," she said, looking up at him.

"I still can't believe you're here," he said, still as a statue in the same spot on the edge of the bed that she just deserted.

"It does feel like a fever dream, doesn't it?" 

He leaned down to kiss her lips, holding himself above her for a few seconds. He kissed her, lingering on her lips, hoping she didn't vanish.

Leaning up, she grabbed his neck and pulled him down to the bed, giggling a bit and sidling up to his ear. 

"I've loved you all this time, I hope you know," she kissed his earlobe, his cheek, and plopped down to close her eyes. She didn't expect or need a response from him.

Thankful for the night, Kaz held back a blush and let a smile loose. That giggle will truly be his demise someday.

"Is that a real smile or do my eyes deceive me?"

He let the muscles in his cheeks pull his lips to a wider smile and kissed Inej, holding her in his arms, letting his actions do the talking. The first night of dreamless sleep in two years awaited the both of them.


	2. Waffles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaz and Inej's first interaction as she arrives back to Ketterdam. Enjoy!

He looks up into the window and there she is. No word or notice. He was going to have some words with Medder, his newest spider protégée.

She faces him, her back against the early morning sunlight. He can barely make out her face. They just stare at each other, two phantoms alive in the day light.

“Two times,” he finally says to her, voice betraying a particularly harsh rasp.

“What?” she says. 

“Two times that you’ve snuck up on me.”

She grins and hops off the window. He takes in her form as her face comes into the light. The same long, silky black hair. He notices it has a slight wave to it now. Plus, it’s down, not pulled tightly in her usual braid. He could smell the salt air on her as she walks toward him. Same Wraith - impeccable posture, gliding toward him like a ship. Her skin gleams and in that moment he realizes, she's different. Not physically, per say, but something about the way she holds herself. Not so taut. More confident, more self assured. No fear.

“It’s good to see you too, Kaz.”

“When did you dock?”

“About an hour ago. My ship is still a day out. I had business on another ship that docked this morning.”

She notices the lines around his eyes change. Saints, he looks tired. He just stares at her, still shaken by her sudden appearance in his office. 

She continues hesitantly - “So you don’t have to reprimand your spider. He couldn’t have known.”

The side of his mouth quirks up. Inej always knows. 

“Hungry?” he asks.

“I’ve been dreaming about waffles and fried potatoes for the last four days," she says with a dreamy grin. Saints, he missed her.

“Then let’s get out of here,” he says with a glint in his eye.

He stands up and reaches out his gloveless hand. She looks down and her eyes sparkle. Taking his hand in hers, an electric current sparks up her arm. He shudders, and gathers himself. She gives his fingers a quick, light squeeze. Reassurance. 

Now it's her turn to take him in. Did he get taller? His eyes probe into hers as she studies him. She stretches their joined arms out and unabashedly looks him up and down. A new scar adorns his neck. Hair exactly the same, though. Something about him seems almost regal, it's bizarre for her to even fathom. Maybe the time apart made her brain a little loopy. His eyes look tired, yes, but they seem softer, drawing her in with a sense of maturity. His shoulders are upright and broad. He definitely got taller. She knows one thing for sure - Kaz Brekker is a man now.

"What?" he asks with a furrowed brow. 

Inej laughs. Her hearty, light, glistening laugh. Maybe some things haven't changed. 

"You look good," she admits, still smiling.

Kaz looks taken aback, which makes Inej laugh again. "Is that so hard to believe, Kaz?"

"Forgive me if I'm missing the joke here," he says with a lifted brow and a smirk.

She leads him to the window and gives his hand a squeeze. He looks at their joined hands and rubs his thumb over her pulse, a habit now. She could tell his breath is hitching.

Inej spies his cane leaning against the wall by his desk and breaks free to grab it, giving him some time to gather himself. She tosses it to him and he catches it in his other hand. 

She joins him back at the window, and he takes her hand again, swiftly pulling it closer to his face. Without prelude, he quickly brushes his lips against the skin of the top of her hand.

"It was the one thing I told myself I had to do when you came back," he says, an intensity settling into his eyes.

Inej squeezes their hands again.

"I missed you, too, Kaz," she says, and climbs out the window pulling him behind her. Ketterdam awaits.


	3. Humidity

Disclaimer: These characters are all owned by Leigh Bardugo, of course, and we are all beholden to her.

____

 

Kaz climbs up the side of the Van Eck mansion with gloveless hands, and pushes his wrecked body up and over the window, which was mysteriously unlocked. He lands ungracefully on the immaculate white carpet and rights himself. Blood appears on the floor as he fixes his suit jacket. Oh, it's his blood, he realizes. Kaz rolls his eyes just imagining the reaction awaiting him as he searches the room for Inej. 

A big, made bed sits in the center of the room with a wooden desk and chair to the right. The room barely looks lived in. He supposed it wouldn't, considering she hasn't been here to use it in two years. Ever since the Ice Court job, Wylan's taken an interest in interior design. Kaz snorts just thinking about how ridiculous that sounds. The merchling has a knack for both blowing things up and making things look pretty. The whole room looks like something out of, well, Kaz doesn't even know. The whole room is white.  _At least some blood on the floor will shake things up for him_ , he thinks. 

Where is Inej? Kaz smooths his hair and walks towards the sitting area, where a white table and chairs are set up (unused). He walks around the corner of the room and sees the bathroom door open. In an instant, Inej appears in nothing but a towel, hair soaking wet. Her caramel skin glows under the golden bathroom light, dewy with moisture. Kaz nearly chokes.

"Kaz? It's early. I didn't expect you so soon," Inej says, darting her eyes back and forth to his startled ones. She stands loose and tall, holding one hand under her chin as if his sudden appearance isn't quite a big deal at all. 

"Sorry - I -" Kaz starts. 

Inej gives him a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay, Kaz. Come in. I actually wanted to talk to you about something, and it's better that you came early."

As Kaz comes closer, Inej notices the obviously terrible state that his body is in. Blood is dripping down from his scalp onto his cheek, and his right knuckles are caked in dried blood and bruises. His pants and jacket are ripped at the seams.

"What happened to you?" she asks, concern replacing her previously calm demeanor. 

"I had some business to take care of down by second harbor. Nothing major," he gruffly replies. His leg was killing him, but he wasn't about to tell Inej that. Luckily, she didn’t ask any more questions.

"Here, Wylan has some bandages and first aid supplies under the sink. You should clean yourself up," she says and pauses with a slight smile, "Wait until you see the bathroom." Inej grabs his hand, leading him in from the bedroom. His hand twitches for a second, but this is the one thing he’s managed to truly get used to.

Kaz raises his eyebrows. “This is a bathroom? It's the size of my room at the Slat," he says looking around. The entire bathroom is white, of course, with gold trimming nearly everywhere. It looks so merch-like that Kaz starts laughing. Suddenly, he feels a quick, lightning bolt of pain up his leg. It gives out and he stumbles toward the sink to hold himself up.

"Kaz, can you please sit on the toilet and not get yourself even more hurt than you already are?" she says. Kaz grunts and makes a move to grab a towel, but his limp is so pronounced right now that he almost falls over again. 

"I can help you," she says with a determined gaze. Her body goes still.

_I can help you_

He moves to the toilet without being told twice, distracted by the sudden memories. His eyes go black as he stares at her. They've both realized the position they're in - roles reversed. The electricity in the air changes. The humidity and heat from the freshly used shower get thicker. How did this escalate so quickly? He realizes, they can barely go ten minutes being alone lately without palpable tension. Right now, though... The last time they were alone in a bathroom... 

_I can help you_

Inej breaks her gaze from his stare and carefully takes his hand to dab it with a wet cloth. He winces from the sting, which is unusual for Kaz, given that this is his 709th bloodied hand.  _I can best this. I've done this before. I'm better than I was two years ago._ He breathes. The waters rise, but quickly they recede.

He catches a slight look of worry in Inej's eyes, but it's gone in an instant. She sets back to work even more carefully. Kaz is so focused on Inej's neck - hair - fingers - collarbone - breathe, breathe - before he realizes it, she's finished. She relinquishes her hold on his hand and he exhales. 

Without saying a word, Inej crouches down to be at his eye level. She brings a new wet cloth up to his forehead and dabs lightly. 

"This cut isn't as deep as I thought," she muses. She glances toward his eyes to find them near shark-like.  _Near_  shark-like. They possess something different than the predatory gaze when he's in the heat of rage. He takes her hand and rubs his thumb over her pulse, and she's so close she can feel his heart racing. His fingers trails up her arm to her elbow, back down. Her skin breaks out into goosebumps. _Not rage, maybe something closer to --_

They've done this dance once before, just two nights ago, but this feels different. It's too familiar.  Inej can feel the heat of him radiating off.  _This bathroom is so humid_. Kaz has sweat all over his brow, and she can see the sweat soaking through his dress shirt. The blood on his forehead finally stops running, and she breaks his gaze again to swiftly stand up and find a dry towel. 

"Inej," Kaz croaks out. He stands up and limps after her, removing his tie and unbuttoning the collar of his shirt. 

Inej is so thrown by the heat, the memories, the feeling of Kaz's fingers trailing up her arm, that she shakily turns and doesn't think to remind him to sit back down. It’s too hot in here. Her mind races with thoughts of Kaz leaving, Kaz retreating into anger, buttoned up into someone else.  _Not again. Prove to me again that we can exist without armor._

Without realizing it, Inej finds herself backing against the sink. Kaz inches closer to her and shakily puts his hands on her hips. 

_Prove to me again that we can exist without armor._

Inej takes a deep breath and hoists herself onto the sink. This time, she wouldn't close her eyes.  _We can do this. I'm not here to live in this past._ She raises her brows. _Your turn._

Kaz takes both of her hands to feel her pulse. He moves closer to stand nearly flush against her, right between her legs. He closes his eyes and breathes. The waters rise, but quickly they recede.

His fingers move up her wrists to her shoulders, back down, back up. Careful not to touch anything else. How many times had she fantasized about his hands?   _Two nights ago you weren't afraid to touch anything else._ She takes his hand and swiftly brings two of his fingertips to her lips, locking her gaze on his. Another challenge.

He looks down to the soft spot between the base of her neck and her collarbone. Glances back up to her eyes. Back down. Back up. Back down. Her skin still glistens, and suddenly he sees a bead of sweat start to slowly roll down her neck toward that blessed - cursed - spot of skin.  _I want to lick that off you, Inej._ They've done this once before.  _We're here. We're here. I can do this._

Kaz lowers his head and glances quickly back up to Inej's eyes.

"Go on," she whispers.

Those words - that was it. Kaz's lips meet her skin and the tight leash he had on himself breaks free. He lightly trails his lips up her neck to her chin, up her jaw, behind her ear. She smells like some kind of flowery soap and it drives him mad. He pauses, feeling his own pulse quicken. He takes a deep breathe. The waters rise, but they recede.

Inej's breath quickens too, and she relishes in the sensations of  _Kaz._ Just as she moves to place her hands on his waist, his lips crash into hers. The move is so sudden, she makes a quick noise at the back of her throat that makes Kaz come to a sudden stop. He pulls away. 

"Are you okay? Is this okay?" he croaks, pupils dilated in concern.

Inej responds by putting her hands on his cheeks and bringing him back to her. She never knew how much she needed to feel him until these last few days. She never wanted to stop kissing Kaz Brekker.

He sucks her bottom lip and makes a slight growl as Inej's hands wind their way into his hair. The growl wakes something in Inej she that didn't even know existed. She slips her tongue into his mouth with hunger. His tongue finds hers just as aggressively. _Kaz, Kaz, Kaz._ They tear at each other for what feels like an eternity, until Kaz's hands wander to her knees, up her thighs. Inej completely forgot she was wearing nothing but a towel. 

"Kaz - " she breaks away to say. He stares at her again, this time with swollen lips and a flush to his skin. His face looks so... flustered; so un-Kaz-like. His hair is an absolute mess. She can’t help but laugh at his expression. “Saints, you should see your hair,” she whispers.

His hands fly to her face and he kisses her softly this time. It's like he can't control himself now that the tether is gone. How can he not kiss her when she's breathing his name like that? How can he not kiss her when she's  _laughing_ like that? She did break away though, and he pulls away remembering.

"Sorry, I - " he begins.

"No, Kaz, you - " she says before he cuts her off. 

"If you don't want to -"

"Kaz, stop. I want to. I just, I don't want to go too fast,” she says. 

Kaz's lips move as if he's trying to figure out the right thing to say. Did he do something wrong? Is she really okay? He backs away a bit, giving Inej some space. Inej quickly grabs his hand and pulls him back.

"Inej, I would - I would never push you to do anything you don't want to do. I want you to feel safe with me," he manages to rasp, thumb absentmindedly feeling for her pulse. “I realized that we haven’t really - we haven’t really had a chance to talk since the other day -“

"I always feel safe with you, Kaz. Please don't worry. When I say I don't want to go too fast, I just mean - I just mean that we've taken a long time to get here," she says with a small smile and a reassuring squeeze. Her face is still completely flushed, too. “And to be clear, I kissed you the other day because I wanted to -“ 

“I’m glad you did,” he cuts her off. "And I understand what you mean about - about going slow," he says with his head down, and squeezes her hand back. His forehead rests against hers for a minute.

Their bodies are still almost flush together, and Inej can feel the desire to pull him back in, despite everything she just said. She pulls away a bit. His hair is a mess, falling over his forehead and pointing every which way -- so un-Kaz-like again. She ruffles it up even more.

"Excuse me, but what was that for?" Kaz asks with a small grin.

"I just wanted to undo you a bit more now that I have the chance," she smirks.

"You're lucky I like you, Wraith," he smirks back.

They remain still for a bit, his hands on her hips, her hands on his elbows. They both finally manage to return to a state of calm.

Inej startles, thus startling Kaz.

"What?" he asks with an edge in his voice. 

"I just remembered why I was happy you came here early! Wylan and Jesper insisted that you come over for dinner tonight. I was going to have to drag you from the Slat. I believe Jesper's words were, 'Now that you're back he has no excuse. We're not serving poison, for fuck's sake,'" Inej says giving Kaz a look. "Do you ever come here?"

"Frankly, no, I don't want to get dirt all over Wylan's precious furniture,"

Inej rolls her eyes. "Why don't you make time to see your _friends_?"

"I see Jesper and Wylan plenty. Just not here," he says, fixing his shirt and grabbing his tie from the counter to return them back to their original state. He steps back a bit as Inej jumps off the counter and turns around to face the mirror. 

"Will you please stay for dinner?" Inej asks, starting to braid her hair with a raised brow.

He stares at her in the mirror for a few beats, working something out in his head. A small grin begins to form on his face again, but his eyes stay fixated on her fingers working through intricate plaits.

“I’m going to need to get reacquainted with your affinity for staring,” she says making eye contact with him in the mirror.

Kaz walks over to the sink and rifles through the bathroom supplies. He grabs a comb and begins to move it through his hair. "You know what? You're lucky you caught me in a good mood, Inej, dear," he says and moves over a few inches to kiss the side of her head.

Inej can’t help but grin a little at the image of the two of them fixing their hair in the mirror.  _So much grinning. Who are we?_ “Good. It's in an hour. You can stay here while I get ready. The looks on their faces when we both come out of my room will make the whole thing worth it," she says with a playful smile, finishing her braid and moving towards the door. "I'm going to go out there and change. I'll call you in when I'm finished."

Kaz feels light. It's surreal. He doesn't even wince at the thought of Jesper and Wylan being in his business.  _It's probably nothing they haven’t guessed at already, anyway._ He thinks of Inej the moment she looked at his hair and laughed. If he could die with a memory in his head right now, it would be that. Inej --

"Ugh, Kaz, did you get blood on the floor? Wylan's going to kill us," he hears her yell from beyond the door.

Instead of rolling his eyes, he grins and exits the bathroom.

\------- 

Just another shameless drabble. Hope they're not too OOC for you. These stories are generally all unrelated! Can be whatever you make of them!

 


	4. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little one-shot of our fav twosome reuniting at the Kooperom

Inej and Kaz slide into their favorite end booth at the Kooperom, tucked into the back pocket of the restaurant. The tall glass partitions make the booths extra private, thus making this particular booth perfect for scheming. They must have come here at least twice a week back in their heyday. In the mornings, Kaz would be fresh from a job or a shift at the Crow Club. He'd have sea air and smoke clinging to his hair and coat. Inej always remembered that. As they left the slat earlier, she caught a glimpse of the same scent trailing him. It smelled like home.

 

The pair glance at each other from across the table with hesitance. They used to have such a rhythm here. Two black coffees, two waffles -- one plain with maple syrup and butter, the other with blackberries. Surprisingly, Kaz always opted for the berries.

 

The server quickly comes by to take their order, noticing Kaz Brekker occupying the booth. Inej does not recognize him, noting that he must be new. Usually all the servers knew their order by now; but then again, it had been two years. 

 

She looks around the room and notices all new faces -- both employees and patrons alike. The counter now has a glass container of cookies and pies. Hell, the walls even look different. Didn't they used to be red? Suddenly, she feels like she doesn't belong. This place was once a mainstay in her daily life. How could it feel so different?

 

She used to be the Wraith. She could walk into the Kooperom and everyone knew who she was, to the point where she had to make an effort to be inconspicuous. Waltzing in here with Dirtyhands, without her hood up -- she feels like an absolute imposter. A prickle of anxiety makes its way up her spine. What was she doing back in Ketterdam?

 

The server clears his throat and Inej snaps out of it, eyes darting to Kaz, who is clearly examining her.

 

"We'll have --" they both start at the same time, Kaz's eyes not leaving hers as he turns his head towards the server.

 

Kaz smirks at the tandem moment and gestures for Inej to continue. She's clearly on alert. Things between the two of them haven't changed that much. He needs her to realize that.

 

"Two black coffees, and two waffles -- one plain with maple syrup and butter, the other with blackberries," she nervously glances at Kaz to ensure his order hadn't changed. He continues to smirk at her and nods. 

 

"Coming right up. Anything else for you, Mr. Brekker?" the server asks a bit nervously.

 

"No, that will be all," Kaz says without giving the server a second glance.

 

"Good to be back, Wraith," he says folding his hands in front of him and leaning forward onto the table. His heart was pounding. How many times had he come to this exact booth for breakfast over the last two years, imagining this exact moment?

 

"I just can't believe I'm back. It's really hitting me how long it's been," she begins.

 

"Two years feels more like twelve years in Barrel time," Kaz says.

 

"I thought I'd left my old identity behind. Being here, seeing all these new faces... it's finally setting in, I think. I'm actually not part of the Barrel anymore." she says, still sitting up pin straight, playing with her long braid.

 

"Isn't that what you've always wanted? To be free of Ketterdam?" he asks.

 

"You know, I really thought it was," she says with a sigh. Being away from Ketterdam was like finally leaving home to go to university. She reinvented herself. Coming back, seeing everything changed -- it's startling. At first she thought it felt like home, but maybe she was just waxing nostalgic. This didn't feel like home. The streets even smell different. 

 

"Are there new vendors on East Stave?"

 

Kaz raises a brow. "Apparently there's a desire for fried fish now. A few vendors opened stalls and sell them on sticks. They stink up the streets."

 

"I didn't think it smelled bad, just different," she smiles a little, as if he read her mind.

 

Kaz reaches over to grab a newspaper from a nearby counter and thumbs through the pages. He still crinkles his eyebrows and raises the corner of his lip as he studies the headlines. 

 

"I guess Barrel bosses still have to be in the know? Don't you have a spider to do this for you?" she asks, leaning forward to get a glimpse at the headlines. She really just wanted to smell him again. Sea salt air and smoke. She discreetly inhales and smiles. _Things haven't changed that much. Not the important stuff._

 

"I'm expecting a story on a merch who's awaiting trial for stealing money from the Merchant Council. It's the biggest story of the winter," he says without looking up at her, barely noticing her close proximity.

 

He looks up and startles at Inej's nose suddenly six inches away from his face. He takes a beat to examine her again. She seems to have relaxed a bit. Seeing her anxious is, frankly, unnerving. Inej is usually a pillar of calm. He'll jump over hurdles to make sure she remains relaxed for the remainder of her stay. He remembers, he'll do anything for her anyway.

 

He finds the column and flips the newspaper over to her to read, pointing to it among the sea of words. "Actually, as all the developments revealed themselves, I couldn't help but think how much I wished you were here to pour over it all with me. It's been quite the scandal. The Wraith would've broke the whole story to me weeks before it leaked to the press," he says with a low rasp, trying not to bump her head, still looking down at the newspaper. 

 

"You know, sometimes when we're weeks out at sea, I would unexpectedly find myself aching to be climbing over rooftops, staking out mansions at 2AM. Think of all the havoc we could've wreaked on this merch," she says in a low voice, looking up at him.

 

"We would've robbed him blind," Kaz rasps, eyes glinting, pinning her to the booth. The sentence is like a shot of whiskey to her blood.

 

She composes herself and slips back into her Wraith persona. "No, you would've robbed him blind. I would've just been a girl on a job," Inej says.

 

Kaz rolls his eyes. "You loved the rush of it."

 

She did. In the end, she loved being the Wraith. She loved Ketterdam. She loved Kaz.

 

Inej leans forward even more, leaving just a breath of air between their foreheads. 

 

"I loved the rush of feeling like part of a team. Being with you," she says with honey dripping out of her eyes.

 

Kaz takes breaks her gaze to take her hand. He gently ghosts his lips over her knuckles, over her wrist, over her fingers. He's shaking, but continues to hold her hand even as the trembling subsides and the server arrives back at their table with their two black coffees.

 

Breaking out of their reverie, Inej take her hot coffee mug as Kaz shakes his head, gripping his mug. He raises it to cheers. _This is home._

 

"To the rush," Kaz says.

 

"To the rush," Inej says.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks guys! Hope you like this one, I had fun writing it. Please like and comment, I really appreciate it!


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